INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATES PROGRAM
Outline and Selection Process |
The Yale University Library, as one of the world's leading research
libraries, collects, organizes, preserves, and provides access to a
rich and unique record of human thought and creativity. It fosters intellectual
growth, supports the teaching and research missions of Yale University
and scholarly communities worldwide, and promotes cultural and professional
leadership at home and abroad.
In accordance with its mission, vision, and values, the
Library supports a program to bring 1-2
information professionals a year from abroad to Yale.
This
document drafts competitive guidelines to be followed in granting such
awards. The selections will be made by an International Advisory Committee appointed by
the Associate University Librarian for Collections and International
Programs.
The Library's International Associates Program reflects and supports
Yale's transformation into a global intellectual resource. Globalization
has been clearly articulated by the University's administration as a University
priority. The Program supports the broader interests of Yale University
by creating and nurturing ties with research and educational institutions
around the globe. The knowledge and understanding all parties will gain
through this program should enhance the educational and research activities
of our faculty and students.
1. Objectives
The main goal of the program is to nurture professional development
and leadership at home and abroad by establishing and developing
professional relationships between Yale librarians and archivists
and their colleagues in other countries.
In order to be effective and successful, the program
should benefit both the Yale Library and the home institutions of
visiting associates. Consequently, applicants should take into
proper account:
In the future, as the program develops and grows, it may also
be possible to send a Yale librarian or archivist to a non-US library,
as part of a Library “research leave.”
The presence of international associates should benefit both the hosting
department within the Library and the Library as a whole. Consequently,
while working within a specific department, associates should have
the opportunity to acquaint themselves with other key areas in the
Library (i.e., units, departments, and collections), which in turn
would benefit from contact and interaction with them.
International associates are potentially beneficial for various
reasons, in particular:
Benefits to the Yale Library may be immediate and direct (i.e.,
through their work within a specific unit or department), or they
may be projected in the future. In the latter case, an international
associate could be the first step towards a relationship with a
strategically targeted library or archives outside the United States.
If properly and effectively pursued, such a relationship could lead
to valuable collaborations and exchanges of materials, expertise,
and visits.
As part of the program, the Yale Library could host Fulbright Senior
Specialists, which include librarians and archivists among its professional
categories.
2. Funding
To ensure the future of the program, as
well as to increase the number of visitors and / or their length
of stay during the first three years, Library departments are encouraged
to identify additional and future sources of funding, whether through
matches or donations / gifts.
3. Program Structure
Length of visits The visits may be between one and six months long, with three
or four months as the preferred term. The Library could offer different
lengths of visit, with the possibility of two or even three associates
overlapping for part of their visits. This would increase and diversify
the levels of interaction between host and guest librarians. However,
overlaps will be granted only when support capacity makes this possible.
Visits may occur at any time of the year, although during the
summer months (May to September) housing and weather are less problematic,
while from September to May associates have the opportunity to experience
the University when in session.
Orientation
Associates will be offered a general orientation tour of the Library,
to be followed by visits to individual departments and collections.
4. Selection Process
The selection process will comprise three steps and take into
consideration:
- The general objectives of the program.
The process begins within individual Library departments. Twice
a year (typically mid-March and mid-August), the International Advisory Committee issues a Library-wide call, inviting
departments and units to submit proposals. Successful proposals
shall include:
-
A brief description (1-3 pages) of the
project or activity for which the department
is seeking an international associate, noting how the particular
combination of professional skills and cultural-linguistic
background represented by an associate would
contribute to the project, the sponsoring department, and
the Library as a whole. The description should include:
- Clearly
defined objectives and a timeframe for achieving them;
- An indication
of the length of the associate’s
visit;
An indication
of the working
space and tools
with which the
department would
provide the associate
during his or
her stay at Yale;
- An indication
of the availability of additional
or matching funds (if
any) which the department may be able to
use for this purpose.
- If available, a list
of potential
candidates (1-5), including their institutional
affiliations
and professional qualifications. (Resumes
can be
added as well.)
Departments
are responsible for identifying and
contacting the institutions they see as potential sources
of suitable candidates.
Proposals jointly submitted by
two or more departments are welcome.
All the proposals received
will be reviewed by the Working Group, who will discuss
any necessary changes with the interested parties, and make
initial decisions.
After this initial selection, the Working Group will:
- Notify all departments who have submitted proposals of the
selection results;
- Invite departments whose proposals have been approved to
submit formal candidate applications.
The Working Group will
review the candidate applications and, in consultation with
the sponsoring departments, select the best candidates.
Alternatively, proposals can be submitted to
bring a specific librarian or archivist to Yale, if this
is the department’s original motivation
for participating in the program. In this case, the proposal should
focus on the (unique) candidate’s skills and how they
would benefit the sponsoring department and the Library
as a whole, and a joint submission with other departments
or units would be strongly recommended.
6. Selection Criteria
Candidates must satisfy the following criteria:
-
Possession of the knowledge and the skills
required to meet the specific needs of the sponsoring department
within the Yale Library, as well as the general needs of the
Library as a whole.
Application materials required are:
- Cover
letter in which the applicant states his or her reasons
for applying.
- Curriculum vitae.
- Cover letter of support from the applicant’s
supervisor (or head of the department in which the applicant
works), describing the benefits that the visit would have
for the applicant’s
department or library.
- Supporting letter
from the head of the Yale Library department or unit
hosting the prospective visitor.
For more information, please contact Graziano Krätli, International Program Support
Librarian (graziano.kratli@yale.edu or 203 432 1763).
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Revised: October 2008
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